About
Being Famous for 20+ years is no small feat. When we started formulating wax in 2002, Andy Irons hadn’t clinched his first title yet and Skeleton Bay hadn’t even been “discovered”! So much has changed in surfing. But one thing hasn’t. We’re still supplying surfers everywhere with quality surf wax and goods.
Made in San Diego, 2002
Famous Wax started in San Diego in 2002 with one goal: make the best damn wax in the biz. The formula was built around three things surfers actually feel: supreme tackiness, a beady texture that builds fast, and grip that lasts. The first bars went out in simple wrappers, straight to the surfers and shops who believed in us early.
On the pages of Surfer and Surfing
Famous ran its first magazine ads in the November 2002 issue of Surfer and the December 2002 issue of Surfing, and kept running them through 2003 and into 2004. The same year Famous showed up somewhere surf brands rarely go: the label of Jones Soda's Naturals Bananaberry.
The official wax of the contest circuit
Famous was the official wax of Volcom's Totally Crusty Tour in 2002 and 2003, then of the VQS Totally Crustacious Tour in 2003 and 2004, with stops from Oceanside, Blacks and Huntington to Zuma, C Street, Pleasure Point, Kewalos, Hookipa, Wrightsville Beach, Sebastian Inlet, Port Aransas and Jobos in Puerto Rico. In 2004 Famous was the official wax sponsor of the MADA Benz Classic with MADA Clothing and DC Shoes, and handed out X Games branded Famous wax at the US Open of Surfing and X Games X in Huntington Beach. That winter we took free wax to the North Shore of Oahu to put it to the ultimate test.
In 2007 Famous was the official accessories sponsor of O'Neill's 6th annual Braggers Cup, the surf shop grudge match presented by TransWorld Surf. Over the years that followed, Famous made custom wax for the Rip Curl Grom Search, the Volcom Newport 500 TCT Championships, the Malibu Invitational and A Walk On Water surf therapy events.
Wax first, then traction and leashes
In 2003 Famous announced its first traction pads and leashes. Famous Traction hit surf shops in the winter of 2004, billed as the new generation in surf traction, followed by a Tim Curran pro model. Rider and signature models followed: the Brit, Fillmore, Figueroa, Inlet, Lucky 13, Woodlake, Port, F2 and Malia Manuel's Stranded pad, plus the Curran and Deluxe model leashes. Today's lineup is the Duo, Portal and Segway.
A team that surfed everywhere
The early Famous team lined up Tim Curran, Pascal Stansfield, Jeremy Heit, Kilian Garland, Brad Ettinger, Sean Taylor, Brian Aresco, Brendan Hearne, Nick Argyropolus, Tarik Khashoggi and Vince Perry. In 2007 Famous signed Kauai local and Pipeline charger Dustin Barca. Over the years Famous wax and traction have also been under the feet of Kekoa Bacalso, Malia Manuel, Cole Houshmand (NSSA national champion), Pat Schmidt, Shaun Burns, Jordy Collins, Wyatt McHale and many more, and Kilian Garland went on to win the 2016 Outer Banks Pro. Meet the Famous family and read their stories.
From Huntington to the rest of the world
Famous reached the East Coast in 2004 through Coastal Surf Distribution, then crossed the Atlantic the same year with distribution in Portugal and Spain, and in Italy and France. The brand built a loyal following in Japan and South America. See our international distributors.
Green Label
Famous Green Label was a 100% petrochemical free, organic, biodegradable, high performance surf wax, made in the USA from all natural, non toxic ingredients and packed in 100% recycled packaging printed with soy ink. Green Label is no longer in production.
The packaging changed. The formula didn't.
The original wrappers gave way to the Famous script and color-coded temperature labels, and in 2025 every bar became individually boxed. Famous also took wax indoors with pool wax for Waco Surf and a co-branded line for DSRT Surf in Palm Desert.
Still Famous
Today Famous makes five formulas, basecoat, cold, cool, warm and tropical, all made in California. We make custom private-label wax for shops, schools and brands, and supply surf clubs and teams through the team wax program.